School District In Washington Bans Tag From The Playground

Anyone who’s made it a day into elementary school knows how to play tag. It’s a simple game that puts players’ speed to the test, but it’s still plenty possible for anyone to have fun with it in a matter of seconds. In the eyes of some, however, it’s less of a game and more of a risk — which is exactly why they decided to ban it outright.

Washington’s Mercer Island School District instituted the ban without warning. Their reasoning was that they wanted to make sure the students stayed safe during playtime, and excessive touching — the hallmark of tag — put that safety at risk. Officials have explained that they don’t intend to take away all of the kids’ fun; there’s been a push to have them join sports teams, along with reassurance that staff members will give them a chance to play.

That reassurance hasn’t gone over well with parents — none of which had a say in the matter, or even knew about the ban before it went into effect. As a result, many of them have taken to Facebook to voice their distaste; as fully-grown adults, they made sure to remind people that they once played tag without incident. The backlash was strong enough to convince the superintendent to form a committee and possibly reconsider, so it’s possible that the playground will see tag again soon enough.